Cross-correlated imaging of single-mode photonic crystal rod fiber with distributed mode filtering

Advances in Silica-Based Large Mode Area and Polarization-Maintaining Photonic Crystal Fiber Research

In recent years, photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) have attracted increasing attention. Compared with traditional optical fibers, PCFs exhibit many unique optical properties and superior performance due to their high degree of structural design freedom. Using large-mode area (LMA) fibers with single-mode operation is essential to overcoming emerging problems as the power of fiber lasers scales up, which can effectively reduce the power density and mitigate the influence of nonlinear effects. With a brief introduction of the concept, classification, light transmission mechanism, basic properties, and theoretical analysis methods of PCFs, this paper mainly compiles the worldwide development of large-mode area and polarization-maintaining (PM) PCFs, and finally proposes possible technical routes to realize the single-mode operation of LMA-PCFs and PM-LMA-PCFs. Finally, the future development prospects of the PCFs are discussed.

Flexible cross-correlated (C2) imaging method for the modal content characterization in a broad range of wavelengths

We demonstrate a flexible cross-correlated (C²) imaging method in the time domain by application of a tunable and highly flexible light source. An advantage of the flexible C² method is shown by characterization of the step-index fiber (SMF28) over a broad range of wavelengths from 870nm to 1090nm and by the modal analysis of the distributed modal filtering (DMF) rod fiber within a wavelength range from 1050nm to 1090nm. Also, the influence of the spectral shape and bandwidth on the imaging trace is investigated by deliberately adjusting the input spectrum of the light source. The modal intensity as well as the phase distribution are extracted by the alternative method of 2D FT filtering. Being exceptionally tunable the flexible C² method gives an ability to adapt the system's parameters in a desired manner satisfying even measurements of very specific fiber designs opening up new possibilities for advanced modal characterization of fibers over broad range of wavelengths.